Body position for jumping

rwhitlock

I rode dirt bikes for about 15 years, then took about 6 years off (marriage and children thing...)and have now started up again.

My previous riding was mainly the hill climb stuff (widowmaker, long extensions, steel paddles....) anyway, now I don't do any of that competitively anymore, mainly trail riding in the mountains. I never did race mx or learn how to jump.

Of course, now I want to learn to jump. I have tried a few little ones around here and I seem to be out of position. I end up hanging way back on the seat.

Do most of you who do jump, have the YZ seat/tank combo so you can stay forward?

Any tips on how to get started with jumping?

Seems like my biggest one so far is a step up, clearing about a 20' gap. I haven't figured out this landing going downhill stuff yet.

Bill

If you want to drop the front of the bike, while in the air, to orient the bike for the downhill landing step on the rear brake, don't forget to pull in the clutch . To raise the front while in the air rev the motor. As always when learning jumping techniques, start small and build from there.

I also run the YZ seat/tank, I did this change to be able to move further forward on the bike. This puts more weight on the front wheel and helps keep me off the ground . I need all the help I can get

Parry_in_Clovis

Bikes today, especially a WR426 or any mx bike is built to be jumped with your weight over the middle/front of the bike. Look at the supercross guys on tv sometime: their head is even with the bars/front end in a semi-standing position when they hit a fast jump. Roll on the gas or give strong throttle at the launch, bouncing/lifting up at the same time and these bikes fly. Hard to describe in words.
I found when I started riding again after taking the 80's off (70s pro rider) that the bikes jumped way different. In the old days we always got back on the bike over jumps because the front end couldn't take it. No more. Now you park your weight over the front end and stay there. Cracking the throttle hard approaching the face of a jump then lifting enables you to leap enormous lengths (see again the sx guys) with almost no run up. And often its better to land nose down. That even takes more gettingused to be actually is a smoother landing on many jumps than rear wheel first. Takes practice and getting the feel of springing or bouncing the suspension to help loft you.
Hope that helps...

MN_Kevin

The art of tapping the rear brake is accurate, however, you should be leaning more forward upon lift off. What you want is the bike horizontal at the apex between going up and going down. You can easily push down on your bars to angle the bike nose down for landing, with your feet/footpegs being the fulcrum.

When I was growing up, it was ALWAYS rear end first for touchdown. Re-learning the front wheel landings took me quite a while. You need to find a jump laden practice track with lots of tabletops.